Abstract:

The recent shift in the naval warfare climate from deep-water open-ocean scenarios to littoral waters has resulted in a need for the development of shallow-water training ranges that can augment the deep-water ranges that presently exist. The inherent characteristics of littoral environments (time variability, nonhomogeneity, reverberation, sound velocity variation, etc.) provide significant challenges for developing robust shallow-water tracking systems that can meet range operation and accuracy requirements. These requirements can only be met through advances in tracking techniques and technology. This presentation will provide an overview of traditional deep-water tracking range techniques and then focus on the challenges that shallow-water tracking environments bring. Finally, new tracking techniques that are being developed to overcome these challenges will be discussed.